Well-defined polyethylene molecular brushes by polyhomologation and ring opening metathesis polymerization

Abstract

A novel strategy using polyhomologation and ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) has been developed for the synthesis of well-defined polyethylene (PE) molecular brushes. Polyhomologation was used to afford an OH-terminated PE, which after transformation to the norbornyl PE macromonomer was subjected to ROMP. Kinetics of ROMP of the PE macromonomer was studied by in situ1H NMR monitoring. The brush structure was proved from HT-GPC, 1H NMR and DSC results.